[Colt45]

I'm picking a crappy time to start reloading and wonder if the shortage has hit reloading yet as bad a 223/556 ammo and AR-15's? My wife is giving me funds for X-mas to grab a press and kit to start, will the components be as hard to get as ammo was after "Dear Leader" assended to the throne in'08?

Your thoughts.

 

[JimA]

If I was starting out I would look for a stash of primers now! I never had a problem getting powder, bullets or brass but primers were scarce. On line the big venders are already showing "out of stock" for many pistol primers.

 

[jayson]

I agree on primers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and they are cheap so its not too bad lol

My local store (45 mins away) is about out of everything !! powder, primers and lead. Im talking a store that usually has 10k primers in each size ON shelf only had a few 100 of each and none in the back.

The reloading section is the size of a really good sized convenient store. it was almost completely empty !!! very very little powder, few primers and no good lead left.


Im not sure how bad it will get or how long it will last but fairly sure we will see another price hike across the board so get what you can while you can !!

What press are you thinking on getting??

 

[Colt45]

I'm looking at this one:
RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme Single Stage Press Master Kit

Product #: 646599 RCBS #: 9357 UPC #: 076683093578

4.7
(40 reviews)
Read 40 Reviews
Write a Review

 

[jayson]

nice kit ! Never herd anything bad about RCBS except price lol Hornaday has a nice kit in that price range you might want to take a look at too.

I went with a lee due to cost and a few other reasons.

$250 for a 5 stage progressive press set up with dies for .223 or whatever cal is pretty cheap but good quality.

Lee sells replacement parts for every part/nut/bolt on all of their presses. I really like that and they do NOT get crazy prices for replacement parts.

progressive press can really turn out some rounds quick and accurate or you can use them like a single stage and do really accurate "hand/match" loads.


You will find you do need/want more then comes in any "basic" kit. Rifle can get way more crazy then handgun. I think I invested around $600 for the press and other "toys" plus the here and there stuff but have saved well more then that in the first few months. Its not so much the amount of ammo as the quality of ammo that saves money. I loaded over $600 worth of ammo with $150 in supplies on my FIRST good "run" and didnt know it.

300 XTP 9mm lead $45, 300 .45acp XTP lead $55, bullseye powder $20 600 primers $25

Take a friend (FED/L.E.O) to "our range" with said 600 rounds and shoot. He tries to give me money and we argue over it and the cost of ammo. He gets mad goes to his truck grabs a box of ammo and pulls a bullet out and says " Hornaday XTP right? " and shows me the box of 20 cost like $20

 

[Colt45]

I'm on the "fence" right now. If I get the press kit, dies etc. what are the chances of getting primers right now?? Slim to none or as good as getting a P-Mag for $15.

Jayson I've lookedat the Lee presses as well and may end up with one due to price and the fact I still need at least 1/2 more mag/S for the 45 XD.

 

[jayson]

They are easier to find then a $15 P-mag right now lol

Cabela,s still has them in stock and the local stores are starting to stock the shelves again. Hope it lasts until I can stock up lol

 

[jayson]

midway is sold out of large rifle primers.. its getting crazy again !! might be a serious shortage about to start again

 

[Yooper]

I have been finding a shortage at my local stores also, I have been useing X-Treme copper plated bullets in my XD and have good sucsess. There is a small learning curve to the copper plated bullets, (only a very slite crimp) however they are inexpensive and are filling orders in about 10 days. Good luck with reloading I just started this summer and find it very enjoyable, as far as cost by the time you pay for press, other related tools and materials it will take a good while before you start saving money but the convieniance and knoledge is worth it.

 

[Colt45]

still looking at a press, Bass Pro was sold out of the lower end units. The search continues....

 

[jayson]

check midway, ebay, Cabelas or anywhere you can as everything is going fast !!!



Primers are GONE locally and most places online are backorder only. I had to grab 1000 federal primers the other day as they were out of my usual CCI and had no clue when they would get more.

 

[BigDog58]

Primer Shortage

I Live in the SW part of the Twin Cities and every small shop and large alike are suffering from primer shortages. Cabelas in Rogers had nothing but shotgun and a few 100 packs of Large Rifle Primers on Jan. 2, 2013 with no idea when or if they would receive more. I badly needed some Small Pistol Primers and only found 1000 at one shop 12 miles away. The next closest place that had any, was in St. Cloud. Both places only had Small Pistol Magnums, which I had to settle for even though I'm not loading for a mag.

I got Lucky Sat and located 1000 Large Rifle Mag's I found myself needing to load some 300 Win Mag for a relatives birthday on Sunday. I got their last case (1000), and luckily, they were CCI, which is what I wanted

Cabelas (Rogers) Powder shelves were nearly depleted on Jan, 1. Anyone been there lately?

If Anyone knows where I can get Small Pistol Primers in Minneapolis/St. Paul are, please PM me. I need them badly

 

[threetango]

Welcome BD58, say hello in the Introductions when you can.

 

[Yooper]

Has anyone had any luck loading 7.62X39 I keep breaking primer push pins. I use rcbs press and dies, I also tried a lyman decapper die and broke the pin first try.


Aim small miss small,

 

[JimA]

you probably have some crimped primers. I use the Lee decapping die. If the primer won't budge, or it's a Berdan primer, it just pushes the pin up and you can reset it. I've never broken a Lee pin. I have a RCBS decapping die that sits on the shelf. I broke several pins with it.

 

[jayson]

IF it's a Berdan primer there will be issues, as far as I know they are not reloadable.. brass case only

Headin to the local shop to see what they have left for primers... wish me luck lol

 

[jayson]

no luck on primers but I did grab the last pound of Bullseye powder they had and a few 7.62x54r rounds

 

[Yooper]

My cases are brass, the primers are crimped. it seams that the burn holes are smaller, I have no idea if this has any thing to do with it.


Aim small miss small,

 

[JimA]

My cases are brass, the primers are crimped. it seams that the burn holes are smaller, I have no idea if this has any thing to do with it.


Aim small miss small,

I have seen some pistol brass(amerc) that had off center flashholes that would screw up decapping pins. I would think if the holes are centered that you just have some tightly crimped primers. If your pin will fit through the flashholes OK and everything is on center, they should come out. That's why I went to the Lee decapping die. If things go wrong the collet lets the pin slide up without breaking.

 

[jayson]

I would try to use a Lee. Like Jim said they just slide up if there is a issue and IF one does happen to break they sell replacements for a few bucks. I have never compared them but a lee looks to be smaller to fit in smaller flash holes.

http://leeprecision.com/305-Decap-Mandrel.html
http://leeprecision.com/ez-x-exp-7.62x39.310.html
http://leeprecision.com/ez-x-exp-7.62x39.307.html

this might help too. I have one and it works great for opening up the flash holes larger and way more uniform. you would be surprised how much the flash hole varies from case to case.


http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/case-prep/flash-hole-uniformer.php



Are you just depriming or sizing and depriming on the same stroke ?